An Alienware spokesman told me that they expect a lot of interest in their high-end PC desktops, but even more interest in the gaming laptops that line the walls of the sizable booth.

The PC has motorized heat vents, both sides of the computer pop off, there are battery-powered lights inside and and behind the computer, and you can slap up to six hard drives in the PC, all without touching a screwdriver.

Morrison is NDA'd from the soles of his shoes to the shine on his head, but he was able to let a few details slip to MTV Splash Page about his plans for the game's backstory and how movie work differs from comics.

"I have to get to the core of [the plot], dismantle it, and make it work. It’ll be a totally different view of the aliens and the whole mythology,” said Morrison.

“Comics might be more sophisticated than movies, with many intense layers of ideas that you can go back if you missed one,” he added, “but with movies, you get a wider audience. You get the guy in Milwaukee who doesn’t care about anything, so the idea has to be more simplistic. And it’s one idea. Get anywhere near two, and it’s trouble. You can have to be linear because if you miss something, you can’t rewind.”

Er, yes you can. That's one of the great advantages of direct-to-DVD releases, Grant!

Grant Morrison Talks ‘Area 51’ Video Game-To-Film Script, Promises New Take On Alien Movies [MTV Splash Page]

The first demo level is stereotypical suburbia. You work your way through backyards and down cul-de-sacs while keeping your eyes open for aliens reminiscent of Resident Evil Hunters. You eventually command two NPCs who join your party, both who will run ahead to a spot of your choosing with a quick click of the bumper.

Funny detail? Whenever there is a door or gate, you need to send in the soldier to kick it in for you. Yeah, he's the "kick the door down specialist" or something.

The game tracks your party's moral as well, which I only noticed after plowing down a bunch of baddies when a very small message popped up on the screen.

But what's so great? It's the moments like when you are walking through one man's backyard. He holds a pistol at you feebly and orders you to leave. Then a giant tentacle dragon thing pops out of his house.

You wonder if the guy has a hundred cats in there so he never noticed the smell.

It's especially elements like these tentacle battles that are so reminiscent of arcade shooters. Here, and during another moment when you are battling a boss on a bridge (riding in a wonderfully scripted helicopter), you get that retro head-on, quarter-hungry shooter feel, complete with fireballs hurling toward your person that need to be shot lest they kill you.

Even many enemies seem to attack in a square-shouldered manner, begging for a good nut shot. The view is still the standard FPS complete with trademark ready-to-fire generic machine gun. But somehow developers have pulled off something...dare I say it...new?

Having seen screenshots and heard the pitch, I expected BlackSite to be the epitome of a cliché FPS. But the game is worth looking out for if you appreciate the reinvention of an old mechanic, or just some mindless fun.

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Long shadows and fog on an abandoned playground would be creepy enough by itself. The alien just seals the deal for me. Way to go, Midway marketing department! You guys deserve a pizza party. Michael Fahey

BlackSite: Area 51 [Official Game Page]

Morrison's works include amazing runs on the New X-men, Fantastic Four, Justice League of America, Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Superman, and most recently Batman and Wildcats. All good stuff, but for the real Morrison vibe you have to check out his DC Vertigo imprint work, such as Kid Eternity, the Invisibles, and Sebastian O.

Hopefully the ever inventive Morrison can turn the Area 51 movie project into something special, because frankly I wasn't the least bit interested in this project until hearing that he signed on. Michael Fahey

Comicbook author to write 'Area 51' [Variety]

Midway's Austin studio, formerly known as Inevitable Entertainment, is looking for an animator and visual effects artist for the title. The two positions also mention familiarity with the Unreal Engine and "working on FPS games" as bonus qualifications. No word on whether voice talent David Duchovny is signed on for the project, but we'll wager he's free.

Area 51 seemed to be fairly well received, but it totally fell off my radar. Let's hope its as-yet unannounced next-gen successor will do something to stand out from the rest of the FPS crowd. Michael McWhertor